Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Action Figure Review: Pandora from Action Force by Valaverse

 


     Today I'm checking out the third of the Series 3 Action Force figures I picked up and I think this is the one that was the most eagerly anticipated: Pandora. Pandora (real name Miranda Kelly) is a bloodthirsty Irish gangster who looks like she would fit in perfectly with the Dreadnoks. There have been some great villains in Action Force so far and Pandora adds nicely to the colorful roster of characters. There was a blood splattered variant available, too, but I believe that one is long since gone. I opted for the standard version as she just seemed more versatile. Let's take a look at Pandora after the break and see if she's worth adding to the roster...






The Facts:

Height: 6 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed drop down hips, ball jointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, hinged neck, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: Vest, 8 swappable hands, bandanna, submachine gun, sickle, 2 pistols, knife, and display stand.

Non-Scalper Price: $32 dollars



The Positives:



* Right out of the package Pandora is a pretty cool character with a simple, classic aesthetic. We'll get to her portrait in a minute, as it's what really helps her stand out, but her basic look is jeans, a spaghetti strap top, and a tactical vest with two holsters. Oh, and her hands and wrists are all wrapped up. Her sculpt is excellent with really solid detail work on the textures of her outfit. 





* The vest is easily removable, allowing you to have a pretty plain dressed figure who can wear any other gear from the Action Force line you want to throw on her. She's also sporting a belt with a sheath in the back, though you have to disassemble the first to fully take it off. 










* Pandora's portrait is definitely the standout part of the figure. She's like...crazy-hot, I guess you'd say. She definitely has some very smoky, very intimidating eyes, some funky orange and blonde hair with one side shaved, and a cool little smirk. Oh, and a Glasgow smile that she received at the hand of a mafia boss after having an affair with the guy's wife. She kind of reminds me of a gender swapped version of the Joker in a way, but maybe that's just because I watched The Dark Knight again last week. 






* The paintwork and detail on Pandora's legs is excellent. Lots of padding, kneepads, and even shin guards and steel toes for her boots. She definitely looks ready for action.




* Pandora also comes sporting a red bandanna which can easily fit over her neck (just pop her head off) to add a splash of color to her gear. 




* Pandora is all tatted up. On her left shoulder and bicep is a nicely printed Celtic design. It kind of looks like a tree, so maybe it's a take on the Celtic tree of life design?




* On the back of her head Pandora is sporting a Celtic triskele design that really stands out and just adds to her coolness factor. 










* The Action Force line has an excellent articulation model that wonderfully blends functional articulation with the sculpt. It reminds me a lot of the G.I. Joe: Classified Series. Pandora's articulation is the same as the other ladies in the line and isn't much different than that of her male counterparts except that she doesn't have the butterfly hinges. Since her arms and armor are thinner, though, it's not as necessary as she can still take two handed firing poses just fine


* Pandora comes with eight hands with taped up wrists that you can swap out to change her up a bit. The pegs are really thick and sturdy though I had to use heat when I swapped them the first time or two. There's a pair of pistol grips, a pair of cradling hands for holding the barrel of a rifle, a pair of standard grips, and a pair of fists.

*  Pandora's primary weapon is an all black H&K MP7 with an extended magazine, suppressor, and a scope on top. This is a great looking weapon (though we've see it before) and it gives her some firepower while sill allowing her to be a bit stealthy. 




* For close up situations Pandora can utilize her  modern looking sickle or kama. It's a pretty cool sculpt and the blade has a silver highlight to show off how sharp it is. 











* Pandora is also toting a set of  H&K USPs in all black. I love the detail in the sculpt; its very sharp and shows off the design nicely. 












* Pandora also comes with a wicked little knife that I imagine she's used to put some smiles  on the faces of her enemies as well. That's a nasty looking little tool. 




* There are two holsters attached to Pandora's vest, allowing her to carry both of them at the ready. They fit in there really well and just look very cool.





* If you want to store Pandora's knife it can slide right into the sheathe on the back of her belt. 


*  I'm a huge fan of all action figures coming with display bases and Action Force's bases might be the best out there. The metal look of the display stand is fantastic and there are four pegs on the base, making it extra versatile. See that little slit at the back? If you want to cut out the file card from Pandora's package you can even display it behind her, resting in the slit. 





The Negatives:


* Like with Eclipse, Kill-Switch, and many other figures in the line from last year, I did have to use a bit of heat to swap the hands the first few times. All of the pegs are durable, so I didn't have any fear of breakage, but it did take me using a hairdryer a few times to get the hands to swap out easily and consistently. 
Agh!!! I don't know which of the figures from series 3 that I like the best! They're all really, really good. For me it's probably between Kill-Switch and Pandora. Pandora is Epic as well and is just an impressive figure with some excellent details, cool accessories, and a lot of personality. Whether you're a true fan of this new incarnation of Action Force, you mix together your 6 inch military action figures, or you just like vicious Irish ladies, Pandora is a home run. I'm not sure she edges out Kill-Switch, but all three unique characters from series 3 are just stellar.




This is the first figure of Pandora I've reviewed. For more Action Force reviews check out the following:




4 comments:

  1. This is a great figure. One of my favorites. Funny, I never noticed the tattoo on the back of her head before.

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    1. Yeah, the tattoos are really cool on her. She has a lot of character for sure.

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  2. At first i thought she was a Fortnite figure, but wow, Valaverse did a really nice sculpt here! The weapons are cool, too!

    But a thing doesn't convince me on a lot of Valaverse figures. The gun holsters would be a bit impractical in real life, no? If you struggle in melee combat with someone, then that person could get your guns from the holsters without much problems and finish you off with some shots. Maybe i see it that way as most Classified figures have the pistol holsters on the legs or the back.

    Still, Pandora looks really cool, her facial expression and gestures are impressive and the accesories are also nice and varied to combine. Also nice review, my friend.

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    1. Thanks! yeah, you'd think that about the holsters, but that seems to be a real life trend as well. Honestly, that's one of the reasons you hear for why armed persons tend to shoot first: To keep someone from getting within range of their holster/ weapon. Also, many higher end holsters are designed to keep the weapon held in place so it can be easily puled out from the wrong angle.

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